The invention relates more particularly to a valve which is especially suitable for controlling the temperature of the water and which can be used in these washing machines, dishwashers and the like.
The valve structure of the present invention also allows the provision of various advantageous methods of controlling the temperature of the water in said machines for washing. These advantageous methods of controlling the water temperature are also the object of the present invention.
The invention finally relates to machines for washing of the type mentioned above which allow implementation of the aforementioned methods using the valve of the invention.
Machines for washing are currently known, be they washing machines for washing home laundry or dishwashers for washing dishes in general, which, briefly, comprise a drum for washing the articles, a circuit for supplying the washing water to said drum, valve means for supplying hot water and cold water in said circuit of the current of water for said drum for washing the articles and a suitable timer for controlling operation of the machine.
More particularly, in the case of washing machines for laundry, the additional provision of at least one compartment for holding detergent is also made, wherein a current of water is made to flow which removes the detergent and transports it into the washing drum, and suitable valve means for supplying a flow for removing the detergent in said compartment for the detergent.
These known machines for washing are advantageous in that they allow exploitation of the hot water already supplied in the home, where it is produced by suitable boilers or water heaters in general by means of gas burners or the like, which, by mixing this hot water with the cold water coming from the water supply system, provide the washing drum with already heated water which must not be or must be only partially heated, by means of the electrical resistor of the drum. This smaller use of the resistor for heating the drum water allows considerable savings in relation to a lower consumption of energy and above all enables the machines to be fitted with smaller-sized resistors with a saving in costs and in the material used.
A disadvantage noted in this area relates to the fact that, in the places where these machines are installed, the temperatures of the cold water and possibly also of the hot water can differ considerably from one place to another, and it is not therefore possible to program a preset time cycle for feeding the various flows of hot and cold water which is effective for all environmental situations.
Currently the timer for controlling operation of the washing machine is subjected to signals of the temperature of the washing water which are late, that is to say they are only triggered after the washing drum has been filled completely with washing water and therefore nothing else can be done but actuate heavily the resistor for heating the drum water, with a serious waste of energy.
Such a negative fact occurs frequently when the source of hot water fed to the drum is too far away, so that when such water is fed to the drum in actual fact the cold water contained in the pipes connected to the source of heated water is fed. As a result equally cold water is added to the cold main water with the consequences related above.